In reply to Pay attention: Additionally it should be pointed out that although ski-touring boots are much better than standard ski boots to walk in (standard ski boots are intolerable), you still would not set out with the intention of walking long distances in touring boots. Touring boots are tolerable to walk in, not good. I've never climbed much ice in touring boots, but I imagine you could do easy stuff quite well, but struggle once it gets steep.

In reply to Stopsy: My climbing partner and i have decided to ski tour into as many routes as possible and we have been climbing up to grade 4 at the moment and having a lot of success. My touring boots are a bit clumpy but it feels good to ski out after a route everytime!

In reply to Stopsy: I presume for 15 quid you are talking about downhill ski boots not ski-touring boots and these are very different.

I've seen people ice climbing in downhill ski boots here in Finland but at crags that rise directly from very flat ground (well, actually its from a frozen lake, not ground - but very flat!). They had walked across the lake wearing hiking boots and swapped into the ski boots sitting on their packs at the bottom of the icefall. They were also only top roping. But the boots do take step in crampons fine.

Having said all that, on any hillside in the UK getting up to a climb I would imagine downhill boots would be pretty deadly without crampons and very very hard to walk in with them. Basically, it won't work.

If you're a youngster without much cash, I'd see if you could find a few days work and earn enough to buy some real boots. My first goretex jacket was funded by some long days picking fruit and my first ice tools were mainly funded by gutting geese and turkeys!

In reply to TobyA:
Thanks for everyone for their input, good points I hadn't considered / even known about being, as you all correctly guess, young and inexperienced. Guess I'll have to go out and actually earn some money I have B1's currently so I guess I'll stay at an appropriate level in those until it's worth my money buying better boots.
Cheers again,
Stops

In reply to TobyA:
Sadly I'm a 44 in Mammut, and I think they are generally wide fitting compared to Scarpa? Cheers for the point about the For Sale/Wanted forum Dan, you may see a post go up in the near future!

I have an old pair of moderately technical boots that I will sell for a pretty nominal price and postage, more or less just so someone gets some use out of them rather than them sitting in my cupboard. If 44 as you say, they are not far off, but if you are not in London, trying them would be tricky.